Making friends

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/friendship-20/201605/10-ways-make-and-keep-friendships-adult

I have friends - I have many friends - I have many, great friends!!  What support they have shown me in the recent weeks!!

I found this article about making and keeping friends.  Let’s take a look

Point #1 - Friendships are a HEALTH issue!!

Let me quote from the article (which is ‘spot on’)!!!

“Solid friendships are crucial to your physical—yes, physical—health. Did you know that poor-quality social support is the mortality-risk equivalent  of smoking 15 cigarettes per day? Or that supportive friendships in your 20s are a solid predictor of being alive at 70? Genuine, nourishing friendships boost your immune system, improve your prognosis with various chronic health conditions, and lower your blood pressure—and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Emotionally, they help reduce your risk of disorders from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder to anxiety disorders and substance abuse. If you’re great with your gym regimen but keep putting off having lunch with the person who most makes you laugh, shuffle your priorities a bit.”

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I love to laugh.  I think the old concept of “Laughter is the best medicine” is still valid.  I know when I’m upbeat as I can laugh easily and I can whistle.  

I like what this author says ‘ friendships can boost your immune system, improve various health conditions and lower your blood pressure’.  Hey - we can all use that.  

Point #2 - Embrace Quality and Ditch Quantity

Again from the article: “We know this intuitively, and we can probably acknowledge that our 500th Facebook friend relationship is not the bearer of much emotional sustenance. And research suggests we may actually be lonelier now despite having more “friends” than before. But despite this, many of us spend countless hours every week spinning our wheels within some very superficial friendships, getting caught up in a minefield of bland emails or generic texts or the endless treadmill of social networking. We may spend hours each day fiddling on Instagram or Facebook, typing LOL under a video we didn’t even bother to watch, but doing nothing to make true connections—all the while feeling too “busy” to go out and form friendships that are much more real.”

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Oh oh!!  Quilty as charged!!

I just looked - I have 1,476 Facebook friends.  I try to drop them all a “Happy Birthday”. Many are former students that I like to keep up with.  There are some that follow faithfully and encourage frequently.  

So, yes, I have a great quantity of friends - but many are just good acquaintances.  Fond memories of when I met these friends - and about our relationships flow through my mind when I see the names.  

But, some are in that “Quality” friendship range!!  I don’t want to list them - as I might miss somebody - but I will mention L(M)G; TF; AP; KB; SS; JO; JM; JW; TW; KW; MN; MM; PC; KD; BW; and many more.  

I (now) know that I can call any of these quality friends when I have a crisis - and they will listen and encourage me.  Ah - can I be such a quality friend to them? I hope so!!

How about you - do you have friends that can enrich your health life and be quality friends?  I hope so!!

More tomorrow!!!

Karen